Skeletons
by wizardofahz
Summary: JJ was good at keeping her skeletons buried in the closet. This unsub, however, won't let them stay there.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own this show or its characters. If I thought otherwise, I'm sure I would be declared delusional by well… everyone.

A/N: Anything in here that doesn't stay true to the real world I attribute to creative license. (Real reason: as much as I wish it to be true, I'm not omniscient.)

…

"Let me guess how this started," Morgan began. "You see a blue-eyed, blond-haired girl. She's about seventeen, and you think you've gotta have her. But once you do, you can't get it up. And out of frustration, you punish her for it."

"And when she's dead," Rossi continued. "It's like magic, and you can finally feel like a man."

Their suspect didn't react save for a small smirk.

"Make things easier for yourself and talk," Rossi growled. "Now."

Morgan and Rossi both glared at their suspect.

The suspect finally spoke. "I want the blonde."

"Nu-uh," Morgan said, shaking his head. "You don't get anything you want, you sick bastard."

"You want details?" The suspect asked, leaning back nonchalantly. "Get me the blonde."

…

"Do you know why he's asking for you?" Hotch asked as the rest of the team watched Morgan and Rossi through the window.

"I'm blonde?" JJ posited sarcastically.

"But you're not a teenager," Hotch countered. "His type is specific."

"True," JJ said, tilting her head in assent.

"Have you had any interaction with him?" Reid asked. "Have you seen him before? It can be anything –"

"Reid," Emily cut him off. "JJ knows these questions. If says she doesn't know, then she doesn't know."

JJ shot Emily a grateful look.

Hotch continued watching through the glass. "Let's try something different."

…

"Hi," Emily said kindly, walking into the room and sitting in front of the suspect. "Hayden, right?"

Reid followed after her but opted to lean in a corner and scowl. "You don't have to be so nice to him."

Emily shot Reid a look. "I'm just trying to talk human being to human being. There's nothing wrong with that. Right, Hayden?"

Hayden rolled his eyes. "Ok, when I said, 'I want the blonde,' I meant I'll talk to the blonde. That didn't mean get me a woman and try the whole good cop/bad cop routine."

"See?" Reid glared at the suspect. "He doesn't deserve kindness, and he doesn't even want it. Give it up, Agent Prentiss."

"Chill, Agent Reid," Emily directed at him. She said to Hayden, "I'm not trying any routine. I just want to help you."

Hayden leaned across the table. "Help me by getting me the blonde."

…

Hotch entered the room and sat down. He said nothing but glared intently across the table.

Hayden too said nothing and just watched Hotch.

They stared at each other for several minutes before Hayden asked, "Is this a staring contest?"

Still Hotch said nothing, his severe glare interrupted only by a single blink.

Hayden began to fidget. "Get me the blonde, ok? That's all I want."

Hotch moved his head slightly but his stare continued on.

Feeling his resolve begin to waver, Hayden sunk his head into his arms and avoided looking into Hotch's eyes.

…

JJ paused at the door to the interrogation room. She really didn't want to talk to this sick son of a bitch but with the lack of success from everyone else it seemed she had no choice. She braced herself one last time before opening the door.

"Mr. Downes," she greeted as she sat down. "It seems you've been asking for me."

"I have," Hayden said with a huge Cheshire-type grin.

"I'm here," JJ shrugged. "You can start talking."

"Tell me what you know first," Hayden said playfully, his eyes full of mirth.

JJ couldn't help but want to punch his lights out, but said instead, "I know you've killed several teenage girls and raped them after you did so. I know you've worked in several states and your victims have been found in most but not all of them. I know there are more victims out there that haven't been connected to you yet, which is why I'm here."

"Many more," Hayden purred.

JJ winced internally but once again suppressed the desire to knock him out. As smarmy as he had turned when she walked into the room, she still had this sinking feeling that the worst had yet to come.

"And this is the part where you give me their names."

Harden smiled coyly and paused for a moment.

Then he said gleefully, "Anna Jareau."

…

A/N: I'm using the same name for JJ's sister that kdzl did in "Frozen Hell." JJ's sister's never been named on the show, and I figured why not just stick with one that came up in fandom.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: see chapter 1

A/N: The timeline here is based on AJ's age since JJ's has never been mentioned on the show.

…

Behind the glass window, Hotch snarled, "Son of a bitch."

The rest of the team watched him in confusion as he raced out the door. Their eyes turned back to JJ as she spoke quietly.

"You didn't kill my sister."

They watched Hotch throw open the door.

"I didn't find out I like dead girls by killing," Downes said, smirk still in place.

"That's enough," Hotch barked.

"Your sister didn't consent, but she didn't decline either," Downes continued, paying no attention to Hotch's entrance. "That's the good thing about dead girls: they can't say 'No.'"

JJ didn't move.

"JJ, out now," Hotch commanded, grabbing JJ's arm and dragging her from the room.

"She was really, really good for a virgin," Downes said to their exiting figures.

In the observation room, Reid wondered how he never knew JJ had a sister. _Though, _he thought to himself, _Emily's 'death' did prove JJ could keep secrets._

Emily couldn't help but wish to have seen JJ's reactions._ Was she ok?_ _Had JJ remained still because she was too shocked to move? _

Morgan felt a pang of sympathy. _Personal demons were hell to unearth_, he remembered.

Rossi couldn't remember the last time he'd been so surprised. _Then again, _he mused, _JJ seemed to be full of surprises._

…

"You can't continue with this," Hotch said emphatically. He was livid – livid that he hadn't seen this coming, livid that he couldn't protect JJ from what she had heard, livid that scum like Downes could even exist.

JJ seemed to be in shock. Her gaze was empty; her face, blank.

"I don't even know _what_ I'm doing." She fell back against the hallway wall and slid down to the floor.

"What's going on?" Morgan asked. The rest of the team had joined them in the hallway.

Hotch waited for JJ to say something, but she remained quiet. "They need to know," he said gently.

JJ hugged her knees and looked down to avoid everyone else's eyes. "My sister died twenty-two years ago. She was seventeen, had blonde hair, blue eyes, exactly this guy's type."

"Died, as in?" Rossi asked.

JJ buried her head in her arms. The team heard a muffled "suicide."

Reid frowned. "That's not this guy's M.O."

"But you heard Downes," Rossi said. "He didn't start with killing. He's a coroner. He could've started with anyone who showed up on his tables."

"The question is can we trust what he says?" Emily asked.

"Prentiss is right," Morgan agreed. "He's singled JJ out. He'd probably say anything to get a reaction from her."

"But there has to be a reason why he chose JJ." Hotch paced back and forth as he thought out loud. "Something more significant than a physical resemblance."

"I'm still here." JJ's voice floated up to them. She stood but still refused to meet their eyes. "Its possible Downes performed the autopsy on Annie."

"An autopsy?" Morgan asked. "For a suicide?"

"It was the first 'suspicious death' the town ever had," JJ explained. "They wanted to be thorough."

"But you said you didn't know this guy," Emily said. "I thought in a small town everybody knew everybody else."

"They do, but no one in town knew how to perform an autopsy, so they brought in a county coroner." JJ shrugged, "It could've been Mickey Mouse for all I remember."

"Why didn't that show up on our records?" Hotch asked.

"Practically nothing in East Allegheny has been computerized." JJ rolled her eyes. "There's no need for it. As for the county records, I have no idea."

"Let's get back on point," Rossi directed. "If we're going to get his motive for killing and the names of Downes' other victims, JJ's going to have to be the one to talk to him."

"I don't like it," Hotch said immediately.

"Neither do I," Emily added.

"What about having another presence in the room," Reid suggested. "JJ plus someone else."

"He'd never go for that," JJ spoke up. "He'll want no distractions, no buffers."

"JJ's right," Morgan said. "Having someone else there will detract from the greatest possible emotional impact for JJ."

"JJ, can I speak with you alone?" Hotch asked.

JJ nodded and followed Hotch down the hallway. He stopped when they were out of the others' earshot.

"Are you sure you can do this?" Hotch asked quietly.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" JJ said resignedly.

Hotch couldn't stand the look of defeat on JJ's face.

"Of course you do."

"Not if we want to get justice for _all _his victims."

Hotch had rarely felt so ready to say, _"Screw it all. We have enough to put him away for life,"_ but a part of him knew that JJ was right. There were families that thought their daughters were simply missing and hoped for a safe return. There were families that knew their daughters had been killed but didn't know by whom or why. So instead he said, "I'll only allow this if you believe you can handle it."

JJ stared at the floor. "I can do this."

"Look at me when you say that," Hotch commanded gently.

When JJ looked up at him, she knew there was no way she'd be able to lie. "I don't know, but I'm going to try."

"Ok, just let me know if you want to stop." When JJ nodded almost absentmindedly, Hotch added, "_Promise_ me that you will if it becomes too much."

JJ fidgeted. "I promise."

…

"Here's the deal," JJ said forcefully as she entered the room. "For every sordid detail you make me sit through, you give me a name and a location."

Downes leaned back in his chair and looked her over. "I want one more thing."

"And what would that be?" JJ ground out, jaw clenched.

Downes grinned infuriatingly. "You have to answer some of my questions."

JJ glared at him. There was a saying that criminals often made the best profilers. Downes certainly knew how to push her buttons. She had no doubt that he would try to pull everything out of her that she'd worked so hard to bury inside. But there were families out there that deserved to know what happened to their girls…

"Fine," JJ slammed a pen and pad of paper on the table and shoved them towards him. "But first you give me something I can verify."

Downes picked up the pen and twirled it in his hand. "And what do I get in return?"

"If I can confirm that you're not just jerking me around, you get to continue in this game of yours. If not, I end this, right here, right now."

…

JJ sat alone in the precinct room set aside for the team. She tried to think of something that didn't remind her of Annie, but it was proving to be quite difficult. Henry? She couldn't help but wish that Annie could have met him. Will? Same thing. Soccer? Her escape after Annie died. Work? A career she chose based on life experiences revolving around Annie. Butterflies? She could remember many afternoons when Annie had helped her chase them down. Football? The thought of the Redskins' dismal season really didn't make her feel any better.

Reid's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Hey, the team made contact with New Jersey's closest FBI field office. They're starting their search."

JJ nodded slightly. "Thanks for letting me know, Spence."

Reid desperately wanted to comfort her.

"You ok?"

"Not really."

_Right_, he thought to himself. _Stupid question._

"You want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

He tried to think of other ways to help her, but she was always better at comforting people than he was.

"Is there any way I can help?"

"Not really."

He had hoped she would let him be there for her like she had done for him all these years.

"Oh, ok," he said feebly and turned to leave.

"Spence?" Reid turned back to face her. "You can keep me company if you want."

"Ok," Reid readily agreed.

They sat in silence.

"Spence?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe you _can _help me." Reid perked up in his chair. "Talk to me about something, anything. It could be stats for all I care."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Pick a really boring topic like the way printers work."

"Actually, that's quite fascinating," Reid began. "Ink printers are probably the most common microfluidic devices, and most people don't even realize it. The principles of fluid dynamics need to be taken into account, so the microfabrication is of the proper design and materials…"

As Reid prattled on, JJ let herself get lost in his voice.

…

Hours had passed by, and eventually the entire team had ended up in the room. Hotch and Rossi had brought dinner, Morgan had interrupted Reid's spiel – which had ended up on piezoelectric materials, and Emily had begun a discussion on classic books and movies.

Looking at his watch, Hotch was about to instruct the team to head back to the hotel for the night when the local detective stuck his head in the door. Looking at JJ apologetically, he said, "Looks like you're going back in."

…

A/N: More set up in the chapter. There'll be more JJ misery in the upcoming chapters. Sorry, JJ.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: see chapter 1

A/N: I haven't finished any of the later chapters, but I'm going to guess right now that this is the saddest chapter of the fic. I hope you all enjoy it in spite of that.

…

"Not tonight," Hotch said as JJ stood. The team turned to him. "Let's head back to the hotel and get some sleep. "

The team trudged out one by one until only JJ and Hotch were left in the room.

"Hotch –"

He cut her off, "You're going to need a good night's sleep. You can talk to Downes in the morning."

"I won't be able to sleep." JJ was practically pouting up at him.

"Try," Hotch insisted.

"So then what? I'm supposed to spend the night pacing around my room?" JJ's tone turned sarcastic. "Or maybe I'll roll around the bed in a special dance, so the sleep god to bless me with his graces? That's a waste of time, Hotch. If I talk to Downes now, I can try to throw him off balance. He'll be tired, and –"

"And so will you." Hotch said gently.

"I've worked with this unit for seven years. Not sleeping is a norm," JJ protested.

Hotch shook his head. "Not when something is this personal. You're going to need every resource you can get, which includes sleep. Nothing you say will change my mind, so let's go."

…

It had been hours since the team arrived at the hotel, but JJ hadn't managed to capture a single second of sleep. She was an unfortunate mixture of mental weariness and nervous energy. She tried pacing around the room to relieve some of that energy. When that didn't work, she tried lying in bed and counting sheep, but all she managed to accomplish after 256 sheep were some creative ideas on how to dispose of the them because they failed to put her to sleep.

_Wow,_she thought to herself. _Really, brain? I think someone's seen too many case files._

…

The team met at their usual 7am case morning time for breakfast, which was a quick affair. None of the team looked particularly rested or seemed to have very much of an appetite.

"Hey, baby girl," Morgan said, pulling JJ aside as they entered the precinct.

"I thought that name was reserved for Garcia," JJ said semi-seriously.

He smiled at her. "I think she'll be fine if I make an exception just this once."

"So," JJ said awkwardly.

Morgan looked her in the eye. "I just want to make sure you're ready."

High-strung emotions and lack of sleep paved a quick road to anger. "Doubting me again, Morgan? Really?"

"Woah," Morgan said, holding up his hands. "Not at all. I just want to make sure you're ok. We all do."

"I know." JJ immediately felt guilty. It wasn't like her to be that quick to anger. "I just…"

"It's ok," Morgan smiled reassuringly at her. "I know what it's like to have the team find out all the bad stuff. Just remember that the team's right behind the glass if you need us. And if he does anything stupid, I will kick through that window and tackle his ass."

JJ couldn't help but laugh. "Then I guess there's no way I can persuade any of you to not watch in the observation room. Some of us do like our privacy."

"And devoid myself of an opportunity to kick through a window? Not a chance." He took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "You'll be ok."

…

"Good morning," Downes chirped when JJ entered the room.

Her only response was a glare that would have made Hotch proud.

"I could barely sleep last night. I was so excited," Downes said happily. "How about you?"

JJ ignored his question and pushed a pen and pad of paper towards him. "The names and locations of your victims as per the deal."

"Ah, I recall that you agreed to answer some questions for those names."

Of all the questions in the world, JJ didn't want to ask this one. "What do you want to know?"

"Tell me about the day your sister committed suicide."

"What do you care about that? I thought she only mattered after she was already dead."

"Yes, but every story has a beginning. This is where mine starts. So tell me about that day. I want details."

The memory of that afternoon flashed through JJ's mind.

"_No matter what happens, I love you. You know that. Right, Baby J?" _

_Annie looked sad, but JJ didn't really know how to fix that, so she just shrugged and said, "Yeah. I love you too."_

"_I want you to have something," Annie said, placing her favorite necklace in JJ's small hands. _

_JJ's stared at the necklace in shock before her eyes moved to her sister's face. "But it's your favorite."_

_Annie wrapped her hands around JJ's – which were still clutching the necklace – and said, "I know. That's why I want you to keep it." _

"_I can't," JJ protested, albeit slightly hypocritically. She had always wanted a necklace just like it._

"_Of course you can," Annie reassured her, taking the necklace from JJ's hands and putting it around her neck._

"_Really?" JJ asked. She wanted to be sure this wasn't just another one of those tricks her older siblings like playing on her. It wasn't like Annie didn't know JJ had always admired it._

_Annie smiled slightly, gave her baby sister one last hug, and walked out the door._

_JJ held the pendant up to her face and stared at Annie's – no – her necklace. She couldn't believe it was actually hers. She spent some time happily playing with it – put it on, take it off, put it back on – but as the minutes ticked by, JJ couldn't help but feel that it wasn't right. It still felt like Annie's necklace, and JJ decided that she'd get her own one day and that this one belonged to Annie. _

"_Annie," JJ called, dashing to Annie's room. Upon finding it empty, she explored the rest of the house. "Annie?" _

"_I think she's outside, baby," their mother said from the kitchen. _

"_Thanks, mom," JJ said as she ran out the back door. She'd always liked the woods. Their family had spent a lot of time trekking around the woods, playing hide-and-seek, and watching the seasons pass. It was even home to the Jareau children's favorite getaway spot, a place where the kids could goof off, make a mess, and not get yelled at._

_She could imagine Annie's face already. Annie would be happy; JJ decided. It was her favorite necklace after all, and she would be happy to have it back._

"_Annie," JJ called out happily as their favorite spot came into view. "Annie, I got a surprise for you!"_

_It seemed that her sister had an even bigger surprise waiting for her._

"_Annie?" JJ gasped, looking at her sister. Annie lay across the ground, blood pouring from her wrists, a knife inches away from her body._

"_Annie, no," JJ whimpered, tears beginning to slip down her cheeks. She knelt down next to Annie's body. Annie couldn't be dead. Only grandmas and grandpas died, not brothers and sisters. _

_What had Daddy said? JJ frantically thought to herself. Something about fingers to the neck. Find the thump, thump with your fingers._

_She quickly reached towards Annie's neck. Was it supposed to be the right, left, did it matter? Her fingers moved up, down, left, right, searching for some semblance of life. And then she felt it, a slight pulse under her fingers._

_Encouraged, JJ tried to make the blood stop coming out. "No," JJ said, voice quivering. She pressed as hard as she could on Annie's wrists, but the blood kept flowing. "No. Stop it." It wasn't working._

"_I'll get you back home," JJ said, trying to drag her sister through the leaves. "Mommy and Daddy will help you, make you all better." _

_But Annie was bigger than her. And no matter how hard she tried, Annie barely moved. JJ was torn. She couldn't carry her sister back, but she didn't want to leave her alone either._

"_Annie," JJ sobbed, shaking her slightly. "Annie, please. Please, Annie, no." _

_Annie's fingers twitched slightly, and JJ quickly grabbed them. Her fingers were cold. Annie was too cold. It wasn't right._

_And then JJ felt something change. Annie's fingers turned a different sort of cold. "No," JJ sniffled. "Annie, you can't. I was going to make you happy." Sobs racked her tiny frame. "I – I was going to – your necklace – I was going to give it back, Annie." _

_But her sister gave no response._

"_I won't leave you alone, Annie." _

_It wasn't until dinnertime hours later that their father went looking for his daughters. He found them on the ground: one dead, the other looking up at him with tear-streaked cheeks and whispering, "I couldn't, Daddy. I tried." _

JJ felt her eyes water but managed to keep the tears from falling. "She went out one afternoon and killed herself. End of story."

"Now, now," Downes said, shaking his finger at her. "I know there's more to it than that."

"There really isn't," JJ insisted, voice cracking slightly.

"You forget that I saw the sheriff's report? I know you were the one to find her, looking to return a necklace or something. Oh, come on," Downes drawled. "This is the only place I'm willing to start. You want names? You tell me the details."

JJ closed her eyes tightly and tried to forget whom she was sitting across. As she began to speak, she pictured her team and held solace in the comforts they could bring.

…

On the other side of the window, the team flinched.

Hotch couldn't help but think of when she had told him about her sister's suicide. She hadn't mentioned being the one to find her sister. _Then again_, Hotch thought to himself. _Knowing how private JJ was,_ _it was a wonder JJ had mentioned her sister to him at all._

_So that's why she doesn't like the woods, _Morgan reveled. He had believed her cock-and-bull story about the camp director and caretaker. (Though thinking about it now, wasn't that the plot of some horror movie?) And then he believed her again when she laughed at him and easily told him that she didn't know why she was afraid of the woods, that she just was. He couldn't blame her for it. He knew, possibly better than anyone, how important it could become to keep the past locked away in some forgotten place.

Emily remembered Garcia's shooting. JJ had seemed exceptionally affected. At the time, she had attributed it to the close friendship JJ and PG shared. Now she realized that it must've been hell for JJ, the possibility of yet again losing someone who had been a sister to her.

Rossi thought back to the end of Zoe's case. JJ had told him he was the reason she joined the FBI, and he had been egotistical enough to take it all in. He had thought she had the happiest childhood out of all of them. He pictured her as growing up in a loving household, turning into a very empathetic young adult who had been touched by his reading. Clearly, he wasn't the sole reason she had joined the FBI, if he really was a reason at all.

Reid recalled an exchange he had with JJ years before:

"_I couldn't imagine having nothing left of someone but a voice message. I think I'd never stop listening to it."_

"_Yeah, that's sad." He had said almost dismissively before switching to Pinocchio and telling her about nose obsessions. _

She had gotten snippy after that, and now he realized he should've seen that it meant something more to her. He turned his attention back to her, committing every detail to memory, so he wouldn't make that mistake again.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: see chapter 1

A/N: Not much to say this time around, so I guess I'll just say, "Hi there!"

…

"That was good. I'll give you 10 names for that." Downes quickly began scribbling on the notepad. "All right! My turn."

JJ tried her best not to cringe outwardly at his overly cheerful demeanor. It had become overly obvious that good for him meant very bad for her.

"As you know, East Allegheny called in the county sheriff's coroner office because maybe baby you actually walked in on a murder, and they didn't know how to deal with that. And since it was a tiny town of no big importance, they sent me: the youngest, newest medical examiner they had. I didn't want to drive to the middle of nowhere, but well, life has a way of surprising us, doesn't it? When I got there and saw your sister, I just thought, 'Wow, she's beautiful girl,' but I didn't actually think she was anything special. It wasn't until I started working on her that I…" Downes trailed off dreamily.

JJ took the opportunity to build, rebuild, and reinforce as many mental barriers as possible.

"I was a virgin too. Touching her was –" Before the details came, JJ quickly tried to tune out Downes' voice. She kept a façade of unwilling attentiveness on her face, but inside she tried distracting herself with

_Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens _

_Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens_

_Brown paper packages tied up with strings_

_These are a few of my favorite things_

_When the dog bites _

_When the bee stings _

_When I'm feeling sad _

_I simply remember my favorite things_

_And then I don't feel so bad_

Fortunately for JJ, she tuned back in after Downes finished detailing his time with Annie. "And I figured: well, that was fantastic! Maybe I've been missing out on live people. So I tried having sex with living people for a while, but it was never as good. Wasn't even close actually. I disappointed the girls, and they disappointed me."

…

Downes spent the next couple hours telling JJ about his trials with various types of female corpses – different ages, races, hair colors – and jotting down names as he had promised to do. "After all that," Downes said, twirling the pen in his hands and speaking with mock reflection. "I realized I really did have a type: blonde girls in their late teens. Dead, of course."

Suddenly he paused and looked intently at JJ.

"Did you ever consider it?"

"What?" JJ asked incredulously. _Is __he __seriously __asking __me __if __I__'__ve __considered __having __sex __with __dead __bodies?_

"That your sister had the right idea."

JJ stared at him, caught off-guard.

"You know, suicide."

When she still didn't respond, he continued, "I think you did. I spent some time watching you after the funeral. You were miserable."

"I was eleven," JJ said as if that was all the explanation needed.

Downes countered, "It's not unprecedented for young children to commit suicide."

JJ looked away.

"I obviously couldn't be in town too much. You small town people certainly are very suspicious of outsiders, but I still heard plenty. Your parents could barely stand looking at you. You look too much like your sister. Your brother was gone, off on his military something or other. Your friends decided they didn't want to be your friends anymore. The other kids started picking on you."

JJ had to concede that life had been miserable. But consider suicide? The answer wasn't 'yes,' but for some reason 'no' didn't feel completely true either. She'd been very confused, angry, and hurt after Annie died. She spent so much time trying to justify Annie's choices to herself that she wasn't sure which thoughts were hers and which Annie's.

Hotch opened the interrogation room door, interrupting the conversation before JJ could figure things out and respond. "JJ, can I see you out in the hallway?"

JJ quietly joined him in the hallway. She looked withdrawn, and Hotch was glad he'd decided to interrupt.

"I don't want to direct things too much, but I think it's a good time to take a break. I figure you didn't eat much at breakfast, so now would be a good time for some food."

"Yeah sure," JJ said, her tone empty.

She turned to walk down the hallway when Hotch grabbed her arm to stop her. "JJ, you told me you'd let me know if it got to be too much. Make sure you do."

She looked him in the eye and said, "I'll be fine, Hotch."

He felt a surge of pride at her strength and stubbornness. "Yeah, you will be."

Hotch poked his head into the observation room to tell the team JJ that had agreed to the break.

As the team walked towards the bullpen, a voice just beyond the end of the hallway said, "Ma'am, you can't go back there."

"Can't go back there?" The team heard Garcia's voice ring out. "My angelfish is back there. Try to stop me again, and I will hack into your bank account and redirect all your money to the Presents for Henry LaMontagne Fund."

"Penelope, what are you doing here?" JJ asked as the team rounded the corner and Hotch waved the officer away.

"It's nice to see you too, gumdrop."

"Sorry, I just didn't expect to see you here."

"When my hunk of delicious chocolate told me what was going on, I decided I had to be here for you."

JJ shot Morgan a look, but he just shrugged and said, "Someone had to tell her."

"That's right," Garcia said. "And btw, you're forgiven."

"Thanks?" JJ said, confused. "But what exactly am I being forgiven for?"

"For not telling me yourself."

Before JJ could respond, Rossi asked, "Anything in particular you want to eat, JJ? Prentiss and I are going to get food."

"Not in the mood for much of anything," JJ shrugged.

"Cheetos it is then," Emily joked.

"Emily Prentiss!" Garcia swatted at her. "You will get our Jayje some real food."

…

The team sat around the case room eating their lunches and shooting concerned looks at JJ.

JJ looked up from her food to glance at her team warily. Their protectiveness really was nice, but she didn't want to have to deal with it at the moment.

"All of you, be gone!" Garcia said, waving everyone away. When she and JJ were the only ones left in the room, Garcia turned to JJ and said, "I kind of figured you'd want to be alone, but I also didn't want you to be alone, so here I am. At least I'm not a profiler, right?"

JJ's lips quirked up into a small smile. "Thanks."

They sat in silence until Garcia couldn't stand it anymore. "Sorry, Jayje, but I can't do this whole brooding in silence thing."

"You really don't have to be here."

"Not what I meant, my pretty. Let's talk about something, anything. We can talk about Henry's latest antics, or you can rant to me about the Women's World Cup. I promise I'll try to follow along with the midfielder, forward, strategy stuffs."

"I don't really feel like talking, Pen," JJ said apologetically.

"That's ok," Garcia said brightly, trying to keep the mood of the room from crashing through the floor. "I can tell you about my pen drama. All you have to do is listen."

JJ couldn't help but smile at that.

Encouraged, Garcia began her story, "So it started off when we thought Gilbert was dead. Gilbert – just in case you don't know – is the purple one with the big hair and banana on top. Susie, the pink pen with the very cute pig on the end, was devastated. I could tell because the ears were drooping. Anyway, that's when Mr. Manly-Man Karl decided to step in…"

…

"Sorry to interrupt," Emily said, sticking her head into the room. "The guys thought I'd be the safest person to send in."

Garcia did not look amused. She had gotten into her element and was in the middle of explaining the love dodecahedron that had resulted from Gilbert's return from the dead. JJ, on the other hand, was torn. She had gotten into the drama but was glad to be saved before truly ridiculous things happened like Natalie becoming pregnant with triplets, all illegitimate and of different fathers.

"It's time to go back in?" JJ sighed.

Emily looked at her apologetically and nodded.

When the women joined the men in the bullpen, Morgan said, "Baby girl, why don't you stay out here with me?"

Garcia started to protest, but JJ placed a hand on her arm and said, "It's probably better that way. You really don't want to hear the details. Besides, you guys can start looking up the names we've gotten so far."

Garcia acquiesced and stayed behind with Morgan as the team went back towards the observation and interrogation rooms.

As JJ was about to step into the interrogation room, Rossi stopped her. "You're doing good, kid. Remember that you're in control. You direct how it goes."

JJ nodded her thanks and entered the room.

…

"As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted –"

"And I'm going to rudely interrupt you now," JJ cut Downes off. "If you want to continue telling your story, you stay on point."

"But I was being on point," Downes said smugly. "You see, I was waiting for you."

JJ forced herself not to react.

Downes continued, "I was hoping you'd follow in your sister's footsteps and end up on my table. You were on the young side, but I didn't know my preferences yet. I just knew that your sister was fantastic, and you looked like you would be too. This is terrible. I'm telling you everything out of order."

JJ didn't care in what order she was hearing any of this. She'd rather have not heard any of it at all. "Just get on with it."

Downes wrote down a name and said, "Something changed, and your life seemed to get better. Did you know that having sex with corpses isn't a federal crime? I'm sure you knew that. Anyway, what matters is that it's against the law in Pennsylvania. When I figured you weren't going to be slashing your own wrists anytime soon, I decided to move to a state in which my 'hobbies' weren't illegal. It was still hard to settle down though. The work places I ended up in were either so busy that people were always around and I never had the privacy to explore or they were so uneventful that being around too much was suspicious. That's why I moved around a lot.

"When I started killing, it didn't matter where I was. I figured murder would be illegal wherever I ended up, so why not just make my way back to the place of my sweetest memory. And here we are now in a nice Pennsylvania town not too far from East Allegheny."

Downes paused and wrote down another name.

"I have to admit. I considered things like genetics and whatnot. Some talents are inherent in families, right? I know your niece is a brunette, but I'd like to see if she's as good as your sister. She's – what? – thirteen? She'll be ripe for the harvest soon. I was too timid with your sister, but the things I'd do to with your niece…"

The thought of Downes and her niece was the last straw for JJ, and before she could register her own actions, her right foot had reached out to kick him between the legs. She bolted from the room, leaving Downes hunched and gasping in pain.

"JJ?" Reid said, as the team caught up with her in the bullpen.

"I'm going for a run."

"Jayje?" Garcia turned from her laptop to see what was going on.

"Don't come after me," JJ directed towards the team.

JJ gave Garcia an apologetic glance and quickly disappeared through the door.

…

A/N: I suppose I should mention that I don't own _Sound __of __Music_ either. That fact is NOT one of my favorite things.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: see chapter 1

A/N: This is sort of my let's-give-JJ-a-break chapter.

…

_Welcome __to __East __Allegheny_, JJ thought as she saw the woods up ahead.

The woods.

She really hated them.

The secrets they hid.

No.

More like the bodies they hid.

Her sister's body.

JJ shuddered and sped through the trees.

…

"Hey."

JJ turned around to see her brother approaching.

"Hey," she replied, shivering slightly. Evening had come, and she hadn't thought to bring a jacket when she left for her run.

Robert Jareau took his suit jacket off and wrapped it around his baby sister.

"Did my team call you or did someone in town alert you to my presence?"

"Both," he answered sitting next to her. "Your team's worried about you."

"Did they say why?" JJ asked, looking up at him.

He shook his head. "No."

He thought he saw a flicker of relief in her eyes, so he asked, "You ok?"

"No," JJ said simply but didn't elaborate.

Robbie wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. "Want to talk about it?"

She rested her head on his shoulder. "No."

"Jenny," Robbie pleaded. "Talk to me."

JJ knew she was crumbling on the inside, knew she needed to let out the poison circling in her veins, knew that she really didn't want to shoulder all the stress alone. But she couldn't bear to tell Robbie because she knew he'd feel it too: the crumbling, the poison, the stress. And she couldn't bring herself to do that to him, especially after Downes mentioned Robbie's daughter.

"I can't. Ongoing investigation and whatnot. You know how it goes."

"Does it have anything to do with Annie? I mean it doesn't take a profiler to notice that you came to her grave."

JJ didn't answer the question and instead opted to stare more intently at their sister's gravestone.

"Jen, does it? Cause if does then, we deserve to know."

"Robbie, please."

And then because she looked just a little too sad and lost, he said jokingly, "I'll tickle the truth out of you, Jenny. Don't think I won't." To reinforce his words, his hands started to lower towards her abdomen.

She quickly jerked away from him, memories of her "evil" older siblings tickling her child-self flooding her brain.

"Not if I can outrun you," she said backing away from him.

"Oh, baby J, don't you remember?" He began walking towards her, hands innocently clasped behind his back. "You can't outrun the tickle monster. He still has longer legs than you."

They grinned at each other.

Then simultaneously, they began to run.

…

They ended up at their childhood home where their parents still lived.

Robbie playfully tackled JJ on the front lawn, careful not to hurt her. She squirmed in his arms, and he complained, "Baby J, if you keep struggling, how am I supposed to tickle you?"

"You don't," JJ gasped. She managed to continue her squirming despite being tired from the run.

"Doesn't mean I can't." Neither Robbie nor JJ had noticed their father approach.

"No, Daddy, no!" JJ shrieked as their father's fingers began tickling her sides.

Robbie laughed triumphantly, and their father cooed, "Aww, who's still my ticklish little baby?"

They were interrupted by a voice in the doorway. "What on Earth is this ruckus?"

The trio stopped and looked towards the house.

"Mommy," JJ whined. "Daddy's tickling me."

"No, I'm not," JJ's father protested. "Look, my hands aren't moving."

JJ's mother rolled her eyes at their antics. "I don't care what you aren't or weren't doing. Just go get cleaned up and help me set the table for dinner."

…

Laughter rang out around the dinner table.

Blushing, JJ tried to defend herself. "I was four! How was I supposed to know you were joking?"

"That much sugar to cure the hiccups? Really?" Robbie tried to reason.

"I was four!" JJ reiterated.

Still chuckling, their father said, "We laugh about it now, but at the time, you were a nightmare."

Their mother shook her head at the memory of it. "You bouncing off the walls, the kitchen a mess…"

"You better hope Henry never tries it," Robbie laughed.

JJ eyed Robbie suspiciously. "And how would Henry ever get such an idea?"

"I have no idea," Robbie said innocently. "That's a good question."

JJ rolled her eyes at him and snuck a glance at the kitchen clock. Robbie had assured her that she needn't worry about getting back to her team for the rest of the day, but she still felt weird about having a family dinner in the middle of a case. She turned her attention back to the conversation flowing around her.

"Tame? The house was practically destroyed, not unlike the time Robbie and Annie…" their mother trailed off. Annie tended to be a sore subject when talking with Jenny, and JJ's mother could certainly understand why. She and her husband didn't deal with Annie's death very well, and their baby often got the worst of it.

Remembering what she said to Hotch –_ "…__one __day,__you__'__ll __remember __her, __and __it __won__'__t __hurt.__You__'__ll __be __happy.__" _– JJ smiled reassuringly and asked, "Are you talking about the time Robbie and Annie decided to play softball _in_the house or …"

…

"Well, I should head out now if I want to tuck the kids in for the night," Robbie said, standing up from the couch he had been lounging on.

The family had been sitting around the living room, continuing to reminisce about old times.

JJ stood up as well. "Can you drop me off in Valencia? It only took me a few hours to run here, so the drive shouldn't be –"

JJ's father cut her off, "You're staying in your old room tonight, kiddo."

"What?"

"I prepared it before you came to the house," JJ's mother explained.

"I'll drive you there tomorrow morning before I head to work," Robbie added.

JJ looked at her family in confusion

"I'll walk you to your car," JJ said as Robbie exchanged "good night"s with their father and hugged their mother good-bye.

"This was nice," Robbie said once the two of them were outside. "I've missed having time with just us, no in-laws, no kids."

"Yeah, it was." JJ smiled, but then her smile faded and she asked, "So what's going on?"

"Hmm?"

"I feel like everyone but me knows what's going on."

"Your team, Mom, and Dad all called me when I was at work – your team to inquire if I knew where you were, and Mom and Dad to ask if I knew why you were here. I told Mom and Dad to leave you alone, and I told your team that you would go back to them tomorrow. Your Agent Hotchner readily agreed that it was a good idea."

"He's not _my_ Agent Hotchner."

"Whatever," Robbie said. "So I told you what happened on my end. Care to share what's going on with you?"

"Robbie, please, let it drop."

"I just don't like it when my baby sister shows up in town with the pout of an abused puppy and then won't talk to me about it. You know I'll ask around the DA's office if you don't tell me. I'm sure someone I know has connections in Valencia."

"No," JJ said firmly. "If you're going to hear about it from anyone, it'll be me. It's just not the right time, Robbie."

Robbie's blue eyes met JJ's, and he decided to take her resolve as a good sign.

"Ok," Robbie conceded and stepped closer to pull her into a hug. "I'll pick you up in the morning."

…

JJ whimpered in her sleep.

"_Really, Jenny?" Annie mocked her. She eyed her little sister and toyed with the knife in her hands. "You could have saved me, and then none of this would've happened. This was all your fault." _

_JJ's eyes were locked on the knife._

"_Maybe I should have killed you." Annie pulled the knife across one of her wrists. "Then you would know what it feels like."_

JJ whimpered again.

JJ's mother entered the room and took JJ in her arms.

"I got you, baby," their mother whispered soothingly. "You're ok."

"_Of course," Annie sneered. "Mommy to the rescue. Mommy's always there for the adorable little baby."_

_Bolstered by their mother's presence, JJ stuck her tongue out at Annie._

"I am adorable," JJ muttered in her sleep.

JJ's mother smiled to herself and pulled JJ even closer to her. "Yes, you are, baby. Yes, you are."

…

A/N: In my head, Robbie is an ADA, having started off in the military, then JAG before switching to civilian law. He's also about ten years older than JJ.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: see chapter 1

A/N: I had planned on finishing this earlier, but I kept getting distracted by _Downton __Abbey_. My bad.

…

After Robbie had dropped her off at the hotel, JJ changed her clothes and reflected on the previous day.

Though the start had been rough, spending time with her family had definitely done her some good. She had even gotten a decent amount of sleep, which she considered a major victory.

Glancing at the mirror, she pronounced herself presentable and left to join the team in the lobby.

She gave them a small smile as they practically swarmed around her. "Sorry about yesterday."

"Not a problem," Hotch said, looking her over. He was glad to see that she seemed almost relaxed. "There's a diner the local LEOs recommended for good breakfast food. Let's head there before going to the station."

"Sounds good," Rossi said leading the team out the hotel.

Emily pulled JJ back and, as they began to lag behind the rest of the team, said, "When I met you, you know what one of the first things I noticed about you was?" When JJ looked at her quizzically and shook her head, Emily continued, "You always look out for everyone. And when I was in Paris, I don't know what I would've done if I didn't have you to hold on to. I guess I just want to say, I know this is hard. Let me be here for you too."

JJ smiled at her and said, "Thanks, but I think I got it handled."

She really wasn't one to share her emotions with anyone. And with the exception of her occasional talks with Hotch, she particularly wasn't fond of sharing with the team. Ever since Annie died, she preferred to keep herself and her emotions locked away for safekeeping. With the team being a bunch of profilers, giving them something felt like giving them everything, and she wasn't ready to do that. If she had to work out her emotions, she preferred to go for a run or talk to Robbie.

At Emily's doubting look, JJ added, "Really, and I know you're all here if I want to talk. If you're up for it though, I might need a few late night online Scrabble games some time down the road."

Emily placed her arm around JJ's shoulders and said, "That I can do, Cheetobreath."

…

JJ calmly entered the interrogation room and sat across from Downes.

She considered him for a moment then said, "I'm adding an addendum to the deal. If you want your manhood intact when you finally make your way to prison, you stop playing with my head. You only tell me things that I actually _need_to know. Nothing more about me or my family."

"Oh but you're still very important."

"Only what I need to know," JJ reiterated.

"How stringent is that? Because…" Downes trailed off as he felt JJ place her foot on the seat between his legs.

JJ smiled sweetly at him. "I wore stilettos today for a reason."

"Ok, ok," Downes said quickly. "Where did I leave off?"

"You making your way back to Pennsylvania."

"Ah right. But do you want to know when I started killing?"

JJ glared at him. She wanted to say something like "No, you disgusting pig. I'm only interested in when you're going to kill yourself." She refrained and instead said flatly, "Enlighten me."

"That first name I gave you, the one in New Jersey, she was my first kill. You see, it started back in 2006 when the BAU was in town to investigate poisonings. I remember having to go to the hospital to oversee the transport of some bodies because the hospital was so busy.

"When I saw you walking around that hospital, all the memories came flooding back, and I realized how much of a rut I'd been in. None of the bodies I'd been with could hold a candle to your sister. And seeing you… You look so much like your sister. I just – I had to have that again, find someone as good as your sister. The urge was so strong, and seventeen-year-old female blondes aren't exactly common in morgues. That's when I knew I had to kill, I had to get that feeling again, I couldn't just wait for the next specimen to appear on my table."

The memory of seeing JJ in that hospital and being flooded with the urge to recapture his experience with Anna Jareau was beginning to make him hot and bothered. When he'd first told JJ about his experience with Anna, he had been detailed, caring more about JJ's reaction than his own feelings. This time though the flood of memories was redirecting his blood flow south.

JJ quickly brought him back to the present by kicking the underside of the table. Downes quickly snapped his legs together. "Move on," she directed.

Downes complied and scribbled down a new name. "I wasn't stupid though. I always tried to kill outside my 'jurisdiction', though sometimes I would get luck and get a second chance at the body if it came my way. It also made my life easier that I didn't care about my modus operandi. It was so easy to take a look at current case files in the surrounding areas and just copy them. That way I wouldn't attract suspicion. The case files were also very instructive on how to hide bodies. I really learned to appreciate them."

…

JJ glanced at her watch. "One more name, and then we'll break."

"I think it's my turn to ask a question," Downes said.

JJ looked stonily at him. "I believe the addendum stated that we only go over what I _need_ to know."

"Yes, but that doesn't quite nullify the earlier part about you having to answer my questions."

JJ sighed internally. "All right, one question."

Downes smiled at her coyly. "You knew your sister better than I did. Do you think she enjoyed it? The sex, I mean."

Rather than let the question get to her, she snarkily replied, "Well you said you disappointed living girls, I don't see how it should be any different for dead girls."

"Now, now," Downes rebuked. "How about a more thoughtful answer."

"She was dead," JJ said exasperatedly. "You having sex with her was the equivalent of a rhino giving birth to a great white shark on top of her." She snagged the paper and pen from Downes' hands. "You can give me the name when I come back."

JJ met Hotch, Emily, Reid, and Rossi in the hallway.

"I think we're almost done," JJ said as they began to walk towards the bullpen. "I can't see us having that much more to talk about."

"I agree," Rossi said. "He's pretty much up to the present, and unless there's anything major he left out –"

"Which is possible," Reid said. "Guys like Downes like to finish with a big bang."

"But unlikely," Rossi said. "In this case, he's been pretty particular about working his way from the beginning. I doubt there's anything more recent that he can use against JJ."

JJ, Hotch, Emily, Reid, and Rossi joined Morgan and Garcia in the case room. Rossi handed Morgan his notes, while JJ handed the new list of names over to Garcia.

"Wait," Morgan said as he looked over Rossi's notes. "He didn't start killing until 2006?"

"Yeah, why?" Emily asked.

Morgan held up the paper with the previous day's names on it. "Some of these names are from before that."

"What?"

"Some of these go way back," Garcia said. She brought up some files on her laptop. "Some were said to have died in incidents like car accidents, while others have been cases in which suspects were already convicted and put away."

Hotch said, "Downes did say he'd passed some of his murders as the work of others."

"Yeah, _after_ he started killing," JJ responded. "It doesn't make sense to –"

She was cut off by Reid, who said suddenly, "He considered Anna Jareau to be his first victim."

"Kid, he was just trying to get JJ's attention," Morgan countered.

But Reid continued on, "We often pass over things because we see them as only having a surface significance. But what if he considered the corpses that he slept with to be his victims because necrophilia isn't illegal in some states?"

"But there are names of people before 2006 in states like New Jersey and Vermont where acts of necrophilia aren't illegal," Morgan said.

"Maybe because even though it's not illegal he's seeing the act of sex as a sort of violation on them?" Emily posited.

"No," Rossi said. "Downes doesn't consider the sex to necessarily be an act of violation. It's more of a means to an end, the end being his sense of euphoria. He's particular about what he does. In all likelihood, he's used this to extend his time with JJ. He must've known without a reference point we would've never picked up on this."

"More names means more time with JJ," Emily said, catching on to Rossi's thoughts. "He's probably narcissistic enough to want to get credit for what he's done, so he won't make up names, but he wants this whole – whatever this is with JJ – to last."

"We should have seen it," Morgan said, frustrated. "The first name he gave us, we should've known it was important for some reason."

"It doesn't matter now," JJ said quietly.

"Jayje," Garcia said, trying to reach out to her.

JJ backed away. "What's done is done, right?"

"JJ, come with me," Hotch said, pulling her aside. While the others had been profiling, he had watched JJ, and he didn't like her deadened expression and façade of indifference one bit.

He led her to an empty room and closed the door for privacy.

"Get it out. Now," He said sternly.

"What?" JJ's tone was resigned.

"As everything's getting to you, you're turning it all inward. Stop it. You're going to implode. Whatever you're feeling, talk it out with me."

"There's nothing to talk about," JJ insisted flatly.

"Sure there's not. You've spent the past couple of days talking with our unsub about things you wouldn't even discuss with the team," Hotch said, trying to get a rise out of her. "Your reaction to your sister's suicide defined you, still does. You run from your issues or even any potential issues. That's what happened with Will, isn't it? If it hadn't been for Henry, you would've extracted yourself from that relationship eventually. Am I right?"

"Are you profiling me now?" JJ's irritation was starting to build. "And don't you dare bring Will and Henry into this mess."

"That's right. Let's make them out of bounds just like every other topic that has to do with Jennifer Jareau." Hotch felt guilty for saying these things to her, but he needed her dam to break, and drawing on anger was often the easiest way.

"You're one to talk," JJ sarcastically fired back. "All you do is brood around and insist you're fine. After everything: Kate Joyner, Foyet, Haley…" JJ trailed off, eyes widening as she realized exactly what she was saying. "Oh my gosh, Hotch, I'm so sorry."

"It's ok," Hotch said reassuringly. "I started it. But how about we stick to talking about what's going on in the present?"

JJ nodded. She tried to coherently gather her thoughts but ended up blurting, "He killed them because of me."

"JJ," Hotch tried to interject as JJ began to pace frantically.

"I was his stressor."

"JJ." Hotch tried again.

"It wasn't even a press conference where my face is broadcasted everywhere. No. He sees me in a hospital! A crowded place filled with frantic, paranoid potential patients… And if I'd just stuck with journalism or soccer, I'd probably still have ended up being publicized somehow. At least I would've been clueless about all of this. Ugh… You know what? I should've just been a lepidopterist." At Hotch's confused look, she added, "Basically I should've just stuck with butterflies.

"And you'd think I'd be used to it, right? I spent almost 7 years with this unit denying hundreds of cases, and I don't want to think about how many people died because I didn't think certain cases were of high enough priority. But no, make it personal, and all of a sudden everything feels like a thousand times worse."

"JJ, stop. You're not to blame."

"He killed upwards of fifty girls because of me!"

"No," Hotch said firmly. "He killed them because he's a sick man with a horrid obsession. Look. I know better than anyone that guilt isn't rational. The most sincere, heart-felt words and logical reasoning won't be enough to convince you to stop feeling guilty at this moment. But I can tell you that one day you'll recognize that none of this – Annie's death, whatever Downes did to her, his killing spree – none of it is your fault. After Haley died, you told me about your sister to let me know that you understood and that things would get better. Solidarity can make a huge difference. Let me do the same for you now, because I do understand, JJ."

JJ gazed into Hotch's eyes. That he did understand made a world of difference. "Thanks," JJ said softly. "Thank you for everything."

…

A/N: I hope this chapter turned out all right. I have to admit I had more than a bit of trouble with it, which is why it was so easy to get distracted by _Downton_.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: see chapter 1

A/N: Sorry for the longer than usual update wait, but for some reason this chapter refused to be written.

To answer a couple of reviews:

**smg55**: Nah… I'd rather avoid inter-team romance.

**canny-bairn**: Everything could do with more Maggie Smith. ;) What'd you think of the _Downton _finale?

…

When Hotch and JJ rejoined the rest of the team, JJ went straight to Garcia while Rossi went to Hotch. Watching JJ get updated, Rossi asked, "How's she doing?"

"She's dealing," Hotch said simply. "She'll be ok."

"She's a tough kid," Rossi said. "Just make sure you don't let her bite off more than she can chew."

Hotch looked a Rossi. "I won't," he said seriously.

After the team worked and ate, JJ pulled Hotch to the side. "I meant what I said earlier. I feel like this is about done – I'm about done – no matter what else Downes has in mind."

Hotch smiled gently at her. "You know I'll always respect your decision."

JJ returned his smile. Hotch's respect had always meant the world to her, his smiles – being extremely rare – meant even more.

"If you're ready, you can get this over with now," Hotch suggested.

JJ sighed. "Sure, let's blow this popsicle stand."

Hotch turned to the rest of the team and said, "JJ and I will go back to the interrogation room. The rest of you should continue as you are going through the names and sorting through whatever needs to be done with them."

…

In the observation room, Hotch watched JJ enter the interrogation room and pulled out his phone.

"Robert Jareau? It's Agent Hotchner. We spoke on the phone yesterday. No, she's fine. Well, sort of. Could I ask a favor of you?"

Hotch finished his phone call and turned his attention back to JJ in the other room.

…

"I have to say though," Downes drawled, lazily leaning back in the chair. "My favorite part of coming back to Pennsylvania wasn't just being closer to your sister. It was the chance to run into your family. I never really thought about it much, but then there was this case I was working on, and there was joint jurisdiction with your brother's office. I had no idea until I had to meet with the ADAs, and surprise! I found myself shaking hands with Robert Jareau."

JJ watched and listened intently, paying little attention to his actual words. Knowing their time together was nearing the end, she instead took note of his tone, rate of speech, and slight unbridled twitches of excitement. If he had a grand finale planned, she wanted to be forewarned.

"Your brother can be quite the open book. There are pictures of your family strewn all over that office: your parents, his wife and children, your sister, you. We had the most delightful discussion about family. I pretended that because I wasn't close to my family, I wanted to know what it was like living in such a close-knit, loving environment. He was only too happy to oblige me with stories about his childhood, his amazing baby sister, and even his suicidal sis –"

"Save it for someone else," JJ cut Downes off when his excitement level reached her mentally preset threshold.

"What?" Downes was stunned. She couldn't leave before the finale.

"You want to tell someone about this? Fine. But that person will not be me," JJ said, rising from her chair.

"Running away?" he sneered, trying to goad her into staying. "I never figured you to be so cowardly."

"Not running away, no," JJ said, pausing at the door. "But the way I figure it, you're bursting to tell me. Having to tell someone who's not me… Well, I think it's a nice way for me to end things, a nice way to burst your bubble. Good-bye, Downes."

And with that, she walked out the door.

…

Hotch and JJ entered the case room in quiet discussion when JJ stopped short at the sight of her brother.

"Robbie, what are you doing here?"

He grinned at her. "I can't come see my baby sister?"

"Robbie," JJ rebuked quickly, a blush forming on her cheeks. With the exception of her own family's dynamics, she wasn't fond of being treated like a baby. When she joined the FBI, she had made a point of acting mature beyond her years and making sure everyone knew she could take care of herself. And when Reid had joined the BAU, all the teasing and coddling he had received at the hands of the others for being the youngest (though perhaps she was slightly guilty of that as well) made her even more resolute.

She could already see a grin forming on Morgan's face._ Great_, she thought to herself. _Just great._

"Sorry," Robbie said. His tone, however, was far from apologetic. He had been ten when Jenny was born, old enough to get roped into changing diapers and preparing bottles. In some ways, Jen felt more like a first child than a younger sister. And much to JJ's chagrin, that meant he enjoyed embarrassing her just a little too much. "I can't come to see you?"

"You can," JJ said hesitantly, going to hug him. "But that doesn't answer my question."

"I called him," Hotch said from behind her. "I figured you could use someone to talk to, so I asked him to come."

"And I readily agreed," Robbie added. "Whatever's going on, if it involves the family, you're going to need all the help you can get, especially considering it's Mom and Dad you'll be dealing with."

"I don't know about any of that," Hotch began. "I just know I thought you could use the support –"

"– which is why I'm here," Robbie finished.

JJ's eyes flicked back and forth between the two of them.

"Fine," JJ sighed, glaring at both Hotch and Robbie. "Hotch, can I talk to you?"

Hotch nodded his assent. As the two of them walked towards the door, JJ "lightly" kicked Robbie in the shins.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"I'm warning you," JJ said. "No embarrassing stories."

After JJ and Hotch left the room, Robbie rubbed his shin then turned to the team and grinned. "She may have said no stories, but she didn't mention pictures."

…

"Really, Hotch? Calling in Robbie? I can take care of myself." JJ's exasperation was evident in her voice.

"I know you can, but you're stubborn." – "Hi, pot. Meet kettle," JJ muttered – "You ask for help when you need it, but you do it on your own time table which is not exactly the best. When your brother and I spoke on the phone yesterday, we decided to take the initiative, skip the waiting part."

JJ narrowed her eyes at him. "I already have one overly protective big brother, Hotch. I don't need another."

Hotch smiled despite her irritation, brought up a fist, and gently nudged her shoulder. "You don't always get to choose family."

JJ smiled in spite of herself, rolled her eyes, and said jokingly, "I'm doomed."

"Anyways," Hotch said. "I'm pretty sure you didn't bring me out here just to tell me off for calling your brother."

JJ nodded. "Whatever you find out from here on out, I don't want to know about."

"Are you sure? Whatever Downes didn't get to tell you is probably something you'll need to know."

"I know, but…" JJ trailed off. "I'm going to have to tell Robbie about all this, tell my parents, work out issues with the family… I just – I just want one less thing to have to deal with."

"I understand," Hotch said sympathetically.

JJ nodded her thanks.

"There is one last thing I would like you to do," Hotch said. JJ's eyes immediately darted up to meet his. "There are some cases similar to your sister's. Downes didn't kill the girls, but the statute of limitations is up for necrophilia charges or the acts occurred in states without laws regarding necrophilia. There's no set protocol for this, and if anyone should decide how to precede with their families, it's you."

JJ fidgeted uncomfortably. "Hotch…"

He laid a hand on her arm. "Take time, think about it, talk to your family."

…

Upon re-entering the case room, JJ noticed Robbie was still scowling.

"I'm pretty sure Mom and Dad told you kicking was supposed to stay on the soccer field." He rubbed his shin a few times for effect before adding, "Multiple times."

JJ cocked her head. Robbie always had a distinct furrow between his eyebrows when he was trying just a little too hard. And it was there now. Something was off.

"What did you do?" JJ asked, trepidation lining her voice.

"What?" Robbie tried to maintain some semblance of innocence.

"I know when you're trying to cover something up. What did you do?"

When Robbie said nothing, JJ turned to her team. Something Rossi once said floated through her mind – _You'd think profilers would cover better than that_, _wouldn't you? _She singled out the weakest of the pack. "Penelope?"

Garcia couldn't help but cave. Even when JJ caught her and Henry in the middle of some unapproved crazy shenanigans, she would give in before Henry. Then again, Henry had inherited JJ's stubbornness.

"You were a very cute little girl."

"Very adorable," Emily added. There was no point in holding back once PG let the cat out of the bag.

JJ groaned.

…

Robbie and JJ settled into her hotel room. He sat on the bed and gestured for her to join him.

She sat next to him and began to mentally prepare herself.

Robbie prodded her gently. "Jen?"

"Give me a minute," JJ said quietly. When she was ready, she said, "I guess I should just start at the beginning."

She started with the case details – the string of murders, finding Downes – and then moved on to the family's involvement – Annie as the obsession, JJ as the stressor. She spoke steadily but left out details along the way, Downes' mention of Robbie's daughter among them. Occasionally, Robbie would stop her to ask for clarification or more details.

When she finished, Robbie sat quietly and tried to process what he'd been told.

JJ's almost pleading tone snapped him out of his thoughts. "They don't need to know, do they? Mom and Dad, I mean."

She was pretty sure they did need to know, but that didn't mean she looked forward to telling them. If there was even the slightest chance she wouldn't have to, she was ready to take it. No one wanted to hear that their loved ones had been violated after death.

"Jen –"

"What's the point in knowing?" JJ said quickly. "I wish I didn't know. All it does is hurt, reopen old wounds."

"I know," Robbie said reassuringly. "And this family has taken a long time to find peace with everything that's happened. I don't like the idea of undoing that either."

"See, so we don't –"

"However," Robbie continued. "They do deserve to know."

"Why?" JJ asked despairingly.

"The point is they're worried. They're not stupid. They know this is about Annie. For every minute that we don't tell them what actually happened, their minds will create any number of scenarios, each probably worse than the last. It's better that they know and get to deal with it."

JJ squirmed unhappily.

"Hey," Robbie said, placing his hand on hers and stilling her. "I'm right here, Jen. I know you're dreading telling them, but we'll do it together. And then we'll deal with it – all of us, as a family."

…

A/N: Truth be told, I'm looking at maybe one remaining chapter for this fic. The end approacheth.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: see chapter 1

A/N: This marks the end. I opted for one longer chapter rather than two shorter ones. I hope I didn't resolve things too quickly. Let me know what you think! Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed the ride. I know I have.

…

"Are we really doing the right thing?"

JJ paused on the path and stared at the front door of their parents' home.

Robbie placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Baby J, we talked about this. Whatever happens, I'm right here. Besides, it's better to just rip the band-aid off, right? Get it over with?"

JJ leaned her head into his chest and muttered, "Why can't we have normal people lives?"

Robbie wrapped his arms around her. "It just wasn't in the cards for us."

…

The experience was better and worse than JJ imagined it would be. Her mother had dissolved into tears, and Robbie had had to restrain their father from angrily destroying the room. On the upside, the room was still intact, and none of the guilt or blame that the Jareau family was so prone to had surfaced. But she was pretty sure that was just because her parents were still in shock.

"Since we're sharing," Robbie said hesitantly. "There's something you all should know, something I've been waiting for 22 years to find the right moment to talk about." Robbie took a deep breath then plunged ahead. "Annie did write a suicide note."

"What?" their mother gasped.

"She mailed it to me at the academy. I got it about a week after the phone call."

"Why didn't you tell us?" their father demanded angrily.

On edge from the tense atmosphere, Robbie reacted in kind: angrily and defensively. "When was I supposed to do that? Huh? When you two" – he pointed at their mother and father – "were yelling at each other? When you were too busy ignoring each other? Neglecting Jenny?"

"Don't talk to your father like that," their mother scolded him.

"Oh right, that's reserved for you, isn't it?" Robbie shot back.

"Watch your tone, Robert," their father barked.

"No, no," their mother said. "He's right, Matt."

Matthew Jareau shook his head with frustration. "That's no excuse."

"We should have handled things differently," Kate said sadly, her sense of guilt clear in her voice and posture.

Matt rolled his eyes. "There you go again. Should've, could've, would've. Stop dwelling on the past. We can't change it."

"Hypocrite," Robbie muttered.

"Excuse me?" Matt's voice was low and dangerous.

Reminding himself that he was no longer a child, Robbie straightened and faced his father. "If it doesn't do any good to reconsider the past, what's the point in asking me why I didn't tell you back then? Why not just accept that I didn't and move forward?

"What about me?" JJ's quiet voice broke through the argument. "Why didn't you tell me?"

His baby sister's hurt expression and tone was almost too much for Robbie. "Reading it hurt too much. I was young. You were even younger. I couldn't do that to you," he said desperately, hoping she would understand. When she said nothing, eyes drifting down from his face to some obscure focus point on the floor, mouth slightly agape, he added, "Jen, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Before she could say anything, an argument erupted around her once again. They never even noticed JJ slip out the door.

…

_How did this happen? The Annie angst was supposed to be over._

JJ fumed and booted a soccer ball towards the goal.

Then again, the family never did resolve anything. As the years passed by, the anger, the sorrow, the guilt, and the blame slowly dissolved away until they felt something like a normal family again. It had been like an unspoken agreement to bury everything under the rug. Damn the Jareau stubbornness.

Mom… sweet, idealistic Mom. Annie's death had nearly ended her. She'd been so wracked with guilt, confusion, and sorrow that she withdrew into herself. Withdrew so far into herself that it was like the rest of the world didn't exist anymore, not even her remaining family. The only times she ever seemed alive were in her blow-ups, during which everything she kept inside exploded out with a fury that no one could contain.

And that led JJ's thoughts to her father. He was an ex-military man, who considered traumatic events a one-and-done deal. There was no wallowing or dwelling. Life happened then it moved on, and people had to move on with it. Needless to say, the chasm between her parents' coping techniques made her father her mother's favorite target in her explosions.

Occasionally, JJ would be the unfortunate target of her mother's rages or caught in the middle of her parents' rampages. And in those moments, there was no escape. At 11, it hurt and scared her. At 12, the screaming had turned into unimportant, useless background noise (at least that's what she told herself). And by 13, she was barely in the house or around her parents long enough to be yelled at.

She spent a lot of her time alone. She had friends who tried but couldn't understand. (JJ didn't blame them for it. How could they understand when even she didn't? They were all just kids anyways.) Once in a while, she'd take Annie's necklace out of its box (it would be a long while before she accepted it as her own), but the sight of it was more of a reminder of her failure to save Annie than it was a reminder of her sister. She had felt so alone.

But there was still Robbie. She'd trusted him entirely. He had always been her port in the storm. Though he'd been far, he made a point of being accessible as much as possible. JJ would call him every Friday and Sunday night, and they were constantly writing letters back and forth. She never would have imagined that Robbie would keep such a huge secret from her… from everyone.

Suddenly Downes flashed through her mind. His interrupted grand finale. He must've brought up Robbie for a reason.

There was no way Robbie would've told Downes and not her. No way at all. Unless it did happen and Downes had known before her.

And the thought of that made her angrier.

A voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey."

JJ turned to see Daisy, her childhood best friend and one of her teammates in high school. "Robbie called you?" she asked as she kicked another ball towards the goal.

"He said you might need a friend."

JJ scoffed. "Why? Since that son of a bi–"

"Careful," Daisy warned. "You'll be insulting two people with that phrase."

"I couldn't care less," JJ said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

"Jen." The tone of Daisy's voice was all too familiar. She herself had used it numerous times with victims and their family and friends, the tone that said "I know you're hurting, and I understand. Everything will be ok". And right now, it was the last thing she wanted to hear.

"Don't," JJ said darkly. "I don't want to talk."

"I know that," Daisy said patiently. "I know you. Or have you forgotten that I've been your friend before, as, and after the walls went up? You don't want to talk, but you need to. And when you do, you won't give everything to any one person. You're like a financial investor: diversify your portfolio, never put all your eggs in one basket. That way the hurt could never be so complete ever again."

JJ avoided Daisy's eyes. Being aware of the truth and hearing it spoken out loud sometimes felt like completely different entities.

"I'm not asking for everything, Jen. Just give me something. Let me lighten your load just a little bit."

JJ was the type of person to show complete loyalty and generosity to the people she cared about, and it tended to inspire a complete reciprocation in those who'd experienced it. Daisy was one of those people, and she was ready to do whatever it took to help JJ deal.

"All right, tell you what." Daisy eyed the soccer balls strewn across the field. "First to five goals wins. If I win, you spill. If you win, I stop trying to break into Fort Knox."

JJ mulled it over. On the one hand, she really wasn't feeling much for company. On the other hand, she could use the distraction and the physical exertion.

"Come on," Daisy said, knowing JJ would never turn down a challenge. "I coach soccer. And what exactly have you been doing? Getting lazy sitting in an office or a jet somewhere?"

JJ turned to face her.

"You're on."

…

"I can't believe you actually won."

Doubled over with her hands on her knees, Daisy looked up at JJ incredulously.

JJ grinned, juggling the ball with her knees and feet. "Too much coaching, not enough doing," she teased.

"Oh, shut up." Daisy glared at her. "And when have you had the time to play soccer?"

Still juggling to keep the ball off the ground, JJ said absentmindedly, "I occasionally have time to play with the kids."

"Kids? Plural?" Daisy asked, eyebrows rising. "Did I miss something?"

JJ stilled, suddenly realizing how weird her statement must have sounded, then explained, "Henry and Jack. Jack's the son of a friend."

"Uh-huh…"

As Daisy grinned slyly at her, JJ decided it really couldn't hurt to talk to her about stuff. Daisy was a good friend. She – JJ – didn't actually _need_ to talk things out. That's what she told herself anyway. She was doing this for Daisy, to put her mind at ease, to reward her for coming here.

She really needed to stop lying to herself.

…

As JJ entered his home office, Robbie looked at her with apprehension, unsure as to where they stood.

"I come in peace," JJ said, putting her hands up.

They faced each other in awkward silence.

JJ cleared her throat nervously. "Daisy helped me sort some things out."

"I'm glad."

JJ hoped he would say more, but he didn't.

"Thanks for calling her."

Robbie shrugged slightly. "It's what big brothers are for."

Silence reigned again.

"I'm not mad at you," JJ said. "At least, I'm trying not to be."

Robbie's body seemed to slump as he let the apprehension go. "I really am sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Can I read it?" JJ asked tentatively.

Robbie hesitated but realized that it was time. "Of course."

As he handed it to her, JJ's eyes immediately latched on to the familiar handwriting. Tears began to well up in her eyes.

_Robbie,_

_You've probably heard by now, and I'm sorry you weren't here for me to say good-bye._

_I'm drowning here. Suffocating._

_You're so far away, and there are some things for which a letter or telephone call wouldn't do._

_Mom and Dad are, well, they're Mom and Dad. Mom would never want to hear such things, and Dad would just see me as weak._

_As for Jenny, she's too young. I don't have the heart to burden her with problems she shouldn't even know exist._

_Everyone else seems so content, so unaware. My friends, my teachers, my coach…They wouldn't understand._

_I'm not blaming anyone. _

_I just hope you can forgive me. _

_I hope you all can forgive me._

_I love you._

JJ tried to keep the tears from falling.

"Do you know what she's talking about? The things? The problems?"

"No, and I don't think we'll ever know," Robbie said gently.

"She could have talked to me." Tears began to run down JJ's cheeks. "I would have tried…"

"No," Robbie said firmly. "This is exactly why I didn't tell you about the note. You blamed yourself enough as it was. Don't go down that rabbit hole."

"I coul –" JJ tried again, but Robbie quickly smothered her in a hug.

"Stop." Robbie's voice returned to its previous gentleness. "Whatever you're thinking now, I thought when I first read the letter all those years ago. It won't do you any good, just like it didn't do me any good."

He felt JJ begin to shake in his arms, her slight body wracked with sobs.

He held her until her body stilled a while later.

"You ok?"

"Yeah," JJ sniffled. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Liar," Robbie said affectionately.

"Fine," JJ said with a hint of petulance. "I will be good."

"Yeah, you will be." Resting his head on hers, Robbie said, "Hotch called by the way."

"You two on a nickname basis now?"

"I like him. He looks after you."

JJ sighed and deliberately switched tracks. "So what did he call about?"

"Apparently Downes told him about the suicide note." Robbie had told Downes about the note completely unintentionally. The case on which the two had been working together happened to coincide with the 20-year anniversary of Annie's death. When Downes asked Robbie about his family, Robbie – whose mind had been dominated by conflicting thoughts on whether or not it was time to tell his family about the suicide note – had spilled everything to someone he barely knew better than a stranger. "Hotch gave me a piece of his mind, tried to make sure that I'd tell you."

"I'll be sure to thank him."

Silence settled between them again, this one comfortable.

"I'm glad you heard about it from me and not Downes."

"I'm not." Surprised, Robbie quickly raised his head to look her in the face. She smiled at his shock and joked, "If he'd told me, I probably would have pulverized his balls with my stilettos. I think I would've enjoyed that."

Robbie laughed and re-rested his head on hers, holding her tight.

They stayed like that for a while.

Pulling away slightly, JJ said, "I guess we should go make peace with Mom and Dad."

Robbie, who had always been far more argumentative with their parents, was more reluctant. "Do we have to do it now?" he whined.

JJ nudged him playfully and said, "It's better to just rip the band-aid off, right? Isn't that what you told me?"

She promptly stood and headed for the door, Robbie trudging behind.

"I hate it when you use my own words against me."

…

"All right, this is how it's going to go," JJ said forcefully as she looked at her parents. "Robbie and I have worked things out with each other. We'd like to do the same with you, but you have to reconcile with each other first.

"Here's how I see it. Dad, when something bad happens, you move past it quickly so you don't have to think about it. At least that's what happens externally. Internally, everything hurts like hell, and you're just trying to get away from it. But since you don't show it, that makes you an easy target to be accused as an unfeeling monster. And because that couldn't be farther from the truth, accusations like that hurt so much more. But once again, you don't show it, starting the cycle once again."

Robbie stepped in to speak next. "Mom, you wear your heart on your sleeve, but you also internalize everything. You rewind everything that's happened, trying to see what you could've don't differently even if you know that's a road to nowhere. You turn into yourself until you can't hold it all in anymore, making you a ticking time bomb. And quite frankly, it can make you a little terrifying to be around."

Matt and Kate Jareau stared up at their remaining children. Whatever they had expected, it certainly wasn't this. They were still angry at each other, at Robbie, at Jenny, and themselves. If anything, they had been individually preparing themselves for another shouting contest.

Feeling like he was being rebuked by his own children was unsettling. Matt opened his mouth to say something but never got the chance.

"Hear me out before either of you say anything," JJ said. "I know this isn't out typical affair, but let's be honest with ourselves. That's never worked for us. We're going to try this my way. It won't be perfect, but with any luck, it'll at least be better."

It was an unusual experience for all of them. JJ's family wasn't used to the baby taking charge, and though she had gotten used to leading briefings and such, JJ felt weird to be taking the lead within her own family.

They talked for hours, slowly chipping away at the walls each of them had constructed over the past 22 years.

"There's one last thing. It could wait, but I'd rather we get it over with." JJ explained Hotch's request – the decision he wanted them to make. "So what do we think?"

"There's no point," Robbie said. "There's nothing that can be done for the families if Downes didn't kill their girls."

"But maybe they deserve to know the truth?" Kate asked. "Can you give them a choice? Ask them if they want to know?"

"But like Robbie said, there's no point even if they say yes," Matt said. "Knowing the truth doesn't always have its merits."

Kate turned to her youngest. "Jenny, what do you think?"

JJ thought for a moment and then chose her words carefully. "I told Robbie before that I would rather not know. That's still true. However, I can't deny that learning about Downes has done us some good. If this case had never come up, we'd be stuck in the same rut we were in before."

"We were doing ok," Kate said.

"But we were going to last that way only so long as the next big disaster didn't come up. And it did. To be honest, I was getting tired of always feeling on tenterhooks around the family as if one false step would destroy everything we'd regained."

"So you think the families should be told then?" Matt asked.

JJ shook her head. "I said it's still true that I'd rather not know. I'm sure that Robbie would've told us about Annie's note eventually, and we would've gone through identical steps of what just happened. I'm just saying that we shouldn't disregard the other option entirely."

"Mom?" Robbie looked towards Kate. "The rest of seem to have come to a decision. What about you?"

Like her daughter, Kate took a moment to think before speaking. "I agree. Knowing what happened does nothing but hurt. If families haven't moved on yet, there'll be another way."

"All right, it's decided then," JJ said. "I'll let Hotch know."

…

JJ had called Hotch to tell him that he could take the team back to DC when they were done, that she had called Will, who had agreed to bring Henry up to spend time with her family, and that she was truly taking a vacation for the first time since she went on maternity leave. ("As if that counted as a vacation," Hotch had replied jokingly.)

Her family hadn't fully healed yet – it was too soon for that, but at least they were on the road to recovery truly for the first time.

The discomfort, the yelling and screaming, the lies… She couldn't blame her family for any of it. They were perfectly human, and therefore entirely flawed. Just like she was. Just like everyone was.

She stared off into the woods. They didn't seem so bad anymore.

…

_One Year Later_

"JJ, can I see you in my office?" Hotch called from the balcony.

JJ, who had been teasing Morgan with Prentiss and Garcia, excused herself and made her way up to Hotch's office.

"Close the door," Hotch said as she entered.

"What's going on?" she asked as she walked to the front of his desk.

"Hayden Downes was killed in prison yesterday."

JJ's face remained impassive. She simply said, "Ok" and turned to leave.

"I've been asked to clear you," Hotch said before she could reach the door.

"Excuse me?" JJ turned back to look at him.

"You and your family have both the motive and the connections to make this happen."

"We didn't want him dead," JJ said, shaking her head.

Hotch's eyebrows lifted. "You've spoken about having him killed?"

"The death penalty, Hotch," JJ said exasperatedly. "Since Robbie's an ADA, we talked about whether or not the death penalty was a possible outcome for this case."

"Then why not go for it? I can't say he didn't deserve it."

"Maybe it's a little stupid. Maybe it's a little sentimental, but Annie's gone. And we didn't want Downes to be closer to her than we were, especially since he had a… thing for dead girls."

He scrutinized her demeanor and her posture. "All right, that's it then."

Not long after JJ left, Rossi entered Hotch's office.

"Everything ok?" Rossi asked upon seeing Hotch's pensive expression.

Hotch looked up at Rossi. "Downes was killed."

"Good for him," Rossi said flippantly.

"I was asked to clear JJ."

"And?" Rossi prompted.

"She said she wasn't involved."

"But?"

"I'd like to believe her, but past experiences…"

"She's not Greenaway." Hotch looked up in surprise. Rossi continued, "I don't know exactly what happened with her, but JJ is –"

"Actually," Hotch interrupted him. "I was thinking about me."

It was Rossi's turn to look surprised.

"In many ways, JJ and I are very much alike. (At this, Rossi tilted his head with a single raised eyebrow that clearly said, "Thank you, Captain Obvious!") If there's one thing that would drive us to murder, it's family. For me, it was Foyet. What if it was Downes for her?"

"Your situations are completely different. You killed Foyet because he was a threat."

"I'm not sure I would've spared him even if he wasn't a threat anymore," Hotch admitted. "Not after Haley…"

Not wanting to travel down that path, Rossi said, "Downes was never a threat to JJ or her family."

"I have little doubt that Downes was serious about wanting a go at JJ's niece," Hotch countered.

"Maybe," Rossi conceded. "But if anything, we know JJ. Similarities to you aside, Downes was in prison for life without chance of parole, and I genuinely believe that JJ was content with that. And I think, despite your doubts, you believe that too."

Hotch glanced out the window to see JJ ruffle Reid's hair.

"Yeah, I think I do."

…

JJ stared at her sister's grave.

"It's over, Annie. Downes is dead. He can't hurt anyone anymore. Truth be told, we kind of wanted him to suffer in prison, get his comeuppance. I guess someone else had other ideas."

JJ paused as the wind blew through her hair, some of it making its way towards her mouth. She tucked her hair behind her ears as the wind died back down.

"I doubt he'll have ended up in the same place as you, but if you ever run into him, I've found a nice, strong kick to the balls works wonders."

"Jen?"

She turned to see her family waiting for her. She smiled at the scene. Robbie was watching her. Henry was in her mother's arms. Will was talking with Robbie's daughter and wife. Her father was goofing off with Robbie's boys.

"Coming," JJ called back. She patted the tombstone affectionately. "I'll talk to you later, ok?"

As JJ rejoined her family, Robbie slipped an arm around her shoulders.

"You good?"

JJ smiled up at him. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good."

Her skeletons were finally put to rest.

…

A/N: Thanks to **Angela, ****awsome1000, ****canny-bairn, ****crazyobsession101, ****Cribellate, ****dino-dog83, ****journey4eva, ****kdzl, ****Laurenhd08, ****llunaisol, ****Riley_Bernard, ****SkySydfan24, ****smg55, ****susannah2000**, and **sydcasy** for reviewing at some point(s) along the way. (I hope I didn't forget anyone or spell anyone's pen name wrong, and if I did, I'm terribly sorry.)

[I feel obliged to mention… Like with JJ's sister's name, I pillaged the names of JJ's parents from another fanfic: **gf7**'s "In Times Like These".]


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